Contactor with floating coil and armature



July 11, 1967 R. L. M GARY 3,331,039

CONTACTOR WITH FLOATING COIL AND ARMATURE Filed Jan. 5, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z0 l I; I J2 flzdezfor. foerjfi. fi 3 R. L. M GARY CONTACTOR WITH FLOATING COIL AND ARMATURE July 11, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan.

July 11, 1967 R. M GARY 3,331,039 1 CONTACTOR WITH FLOATING COIL AND ARMATURE Filed Jan. 5, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 July 11, 1967 R. MCGARY 3,331,039

CONTACTOR WITH FLOATING COIL AND ARMATURE Filed Jan. 5, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent 3,331,039 CONTACTOR WITH FLOATING COIL AND AATURE Robert L. McGary, Batavia, lll., assignor to Furnas Electric Company, Batavia, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 518,307 Claims. (Cl. 335-132) ABSCT OF T DISCLOSURE The housing of the present contactor includes a top and a bottom housing portion of insulating material and I The invention relates to electric switches and has reference more particularly to magnetic contactors which employ a coil and a movable armature for actuating a plurality of switch contacts.

One of the objects of the present invention is to pro vide an electromagnetic switching device which will be rugged in construction, and reliable in operation and wherein the combination magnetic field piece and coil is suspended from the housing of the device in a manner permitting free adjusting movement of the same so that the combination field piece and coil will adjust for free and unobstructed movement of the armature and movable carriage which is fixed to and actuated by the armature for closing and opening the contacts.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a magnetic contactor having a freely supported and adjustable magnetic field piece and coil, and wherein the field piece is provided with brackets for suspending the combination field piece and coil from the housing whereby to permit said free adjusting movement.

Another object of the invention is to provide a magnetic field piece, coil and armature combination which will be supported from the housing so as to have freedom of movement to a limited extent with respect to the housing and wherein the said combination will incorporate coil springs of unique and novel construction for yieldingly biasing the armature into a circuit open position.

Another object is to provide a magnetic field piece, coil and armature combination for magnetic contactors which will incorporate an armature clip for free and easy insertion in and removal from the carriage assembly, so that the armature can be readily assembled'and disassembled and which will also alignment of the armature.

With these and various other objects in view, the invention may consist of certain novel features of construction and operation, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, drawings and claims appended thereto.

In the drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the device and wherein like reference'characters are used to designate like parts FIGURE 1 is a top plan View of a magnetic contactor of the type selected for illustrating the present invention;

FIGURE 2'is a side elevational view of the magnetic contactor as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the contactor with the top 'half of housing removed and which shows the movprovide for automatic self- 3,331,039 Patented July 11, 1967 netic field piece and coil combination;

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view of the magnetic contactor as shown in FIGURE 1, with parts being shown in section to better illustrate the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 5-5 of FIGURE 1 and showing the armature and movable carriage in circuit open position;

FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 6-6 of FIGURE 1 and also showing the parts in a circuit open position;

FIGURE 7 is a vertical sectional view similar to FIG- URE 5 but showing the armature and movable carriage in a circuit closed position;

FIGURE 8 is a front elevational view of the combination field piece, coil and armature; and

FIGURE 9 is a side elevational view of the combination structure as shown in FIGURE 8.

FIGURES 1 and 2 show the magnetic contactor 10 as supported on a mounting plate 11. The housing for the contactor consists of a top housing portion 12 and a bottom housing portion 14 both being formed of hard rubber or other suitable insulating material and being separable on line 15. The positioning lugs 16 FIGURE 3, enter openings in the upper housing portion 12 for proper assembling of the parts and the same are releasably secured together by the securing screws 17, FIGURE 4.

The upper housing portion encloses the movable contacts and a part of the carriage structure to be presently described and said upper housing also provides the fixed terminals and the stationary contacts for electrical connection to the conductors leading from the power source and to the electric motor, respectively. As shown in FIG- URE 1, the stationary terminals 18 on the left side are fixedly mounted on the upper housing portion by the screws 19 FIGURE 5, and three such terminals are shown for three phase power. Each terminal 18 may have as sociated therewith the conductor guide 20 and a terminal clip 21 with wire holding screw 22. The terminals 18' extend inwardly within the housing and provide the stationary contacts 23, FIGURES 5 and 7. In a similar manner the terminals 24 on the left side provide the stationary contacts 25 and which also extend within the housing in line with but terminating short of the terminals 23. The spaced stationary contacts 23 and 25 are substantially covered by the lid 26 which may be easily removed for access to the contacts.

The combination magnetic field piece and coil is best shown in FIGURES 8 and 9. In all magnetic contactors a movable armature is associated with the field piece and said armature actuates the movable contacts when the field piece is energized by the coil. The field piece generally designated by the numeral 28 is formed of metal laminations secured together to form a unit by the rivets 29 and which provide the three depending portions 30, 31 and 32 as evident from FIGURE 6. The two outside portions of the field piece have a shading coil 33 applied thereto and the middle portion of the field piece receives the plastic encased coil 34, the same having a tight fit so that the coil normally remains in place within the field piece. The electric circuit for energizing the coil 34 is connected to the terminals 35. Metal brackets 36 are located on opposite sides at respective ends of the magnetic field piece 28. The brackets are fixed to the field piece by the rivets 29. The brackets have outwardly extending pads 38 which are received in depressed areas 39 provided for the purpose on the top surface of the bottom housing portion as shown in FIGURE 4. The brackets 36 support the combination field piece and coil unit within the bottom housing portion in a manner which permits free movement of the unit to a limited extent but sufficientfor adjustingpurposes. The supporting brackets also enable a rapid and convenient assembling and disof the unit and this assures good electric contact of the movable contacts with the stationary contacts.

The non-magnetic straps 40 are located on respective sides of the center portion or center leg 31 of the field piece 28. The straps 40 have a -width which is approximately the sameas that of the center leg portion and the straps project from both ends of the magnetic field piece. At their lower projecting ends the straps are re leasably secured to the armature 41 by the retaining clip 42. The armature is also for-med of metal laminations which are secured together to form a unit by the rivets 43. The upper projecting ends of the non-magnetic straps 40 are secured by the screws 44 to the movable carriage designated in its entirely by the numeral 45. The carriage is formed of'hard rubber or other suitable insulating material and three bridging contacts 46 are carried by the carriage for bridging the stationary contacts 23 and 25, and thus closing the electric circuit from the power source to the electric motor or other appliance controlled by the contactor. The bridging contacts are yieldingly held against the top wall portions 47 of the movable carriage 45 by means of the coil spring 48. The bridging contacts have a length somewhat greater than the spacing between the stationary contacts and all the contacts are provided with silver pads for obtaining the best conductivity. This good conductivity is facilitated by the coil springs 48 which back up the bridging contacts so that they are yieldingly held against the stationary contacts when the carriage'45 is moved into its up position by energization of the coil 34.

An important and desirable feature of the invention resides in the use of coil springs 50 of special design and which are located between the plastic encased coil 34 and the retaining clip 42. At its top end'each coil spring engages the coil 34 and the spring is effectively held in place by the positioning lug 51 FIGURE 7 At its bottom end each coil spring has a portion 52 of smaller diameter and which enters an opening in the retaining clip 42. Thus the coil springs 50 due to their unusual shape are held in place on the movable armature and assembly and disassembly of the parts is relatively convenient.

With the plastic encased coil 34 and also the field piece 28 both de-energized, the armature 41 will be released and said armature together with the carriage 45 and the movable contacts 46 will descend to their position as shown in FIGURE 5. In this position, the central part of they carriage is in contact with the field piece and the circuits are open. When the coil 34 is energized, the field piece 28 becomes magnetic and the armature 41 is attion and the unit will be suspended in a manner permitting free adjusting movement. The armature is also fixed to the non-magnetic straps by the retaining clip so as to permit limited free pivoting movement of the armature. These features assure that the armature will have free unobstructed movement for closing the switch contacts and also thatthe armature will make a full contacting engagement with the three portions of the field piece.

The'invention is not to be limited to or by the details of construction of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawings, as various other forms of the device will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a magnetic switch assemblage, the combination including a housing of insulating material, of a unitary magnetic field piece and coil combination adapted to be supported within the housing, supporting brackets fixed to the field piece and having outwardly extending pads adapted to rest in recesses formed in the housing for freely suspending the magnetic field piece and'coil combination within the housing and in a manner permitting free adjusting movement of the field piece and coil combination to a limited extent, an armature located adjacent one end of the field piece and which is attracted thereby when the coil is energized, a carriage located adjacent the other end of the field piece and carrying a plurality of bridging tracted. This causes upward movement of the armature and also the movable contacts 46 until the contacts are caused to bridge the stationary contacts 23 and 25. In this up position of the armature, carriage and bridging contacts the circuits are closed all as clearly shown in FIG- URE 7.

' The reciprocating movements of the armature caused by magnetic attraction of the armature and then release for closing and opening the electric circuits can betransmitted to contactors (not shown) which maybe fixed to the side walls of the bottom housing portion. The arms or members for so transmitting the reciprocating movements of the carriage 45 are designated by the numeral 54. An arm may be located on one. or on both sides of the carriage and they project through openings so as to extend exteriorly of the bottom housing portion 14. The arms are preferably fixed to the carriage by the screws 44. By means of the supporting brackets 36 having the pads 38, the unitary coil and field piece can be easily,

placed in desired position within the lower housing porcontacts, means operatively connecting the armature to the carriage including connecting strap members located on each side of the field piece, armature and carriage, said strap members extending through the coil and being connected at respective ends to the armature and carriage, a plurality of stationary contacts fixed to the housing and adapted to be engaged by the bridging contacts when the coil is energized to cause attraction of the armature and corresponding movement of the carriage, and means yieldingly biasing the armature and the carriage and thus the bridging contacts into a normally open position as regards the stationary contacts.

2. A magnetic switch assemblage as defined by claim 1, wherein the housing consists of a bottom housing portion and a top housing portion, wherein the recesses for receiving the pads of the supporting brackets are formed in the top surfaces of the bottom housing portion, and wherein said strap members are releasably connected to the armature by a retaining clip.

3. A magnetic switch assemblage as defined by claim -1, wherein the housing consists of a bottom housing portion and a top housing portion, wherein the recesses for receiving the pads of the supporting brackets are formed in the top surfaces of the bottom housing portion, a retaining clip for releasably securing the armature to the projecting ends of the strap members, and wherein the means yieldingly biasing the armature, carriage and bridging contacts into an open position includes a coil spring located outwardly and adjacent each strap member, said coil springs being located and confined between the coil and the said retaining clip.

4. In a magnetic switch assemblage, the combination including a housing of insulating material, of a combination magnetic field piece and coil forming a unitary arrangement with the coil having encircling relation with the center leg of the field piece, supporting brackets fixed to the field piece and having outwardly extending pads adapted to rest in recesses formed in the housing for freely suspending the magnetic field piece and coil combination within the housing, said free support of the pads permitting limited adjusted movement of the field piece and from each end thereof, means fixedly securing the straps to the carriage, a retaining clip releasably securing the armature to the said straps, and resilient means including a coil spring located on each side of the armature and being confined between the coil and the retaining clip.

5. A magnetic switch assemblage as defined by claim 4, wherein the housing consists of a bottom housing portion and a top housing portion, wherein the pads of the supporting brackets rest in recesses provided in the top surface of the bottom housing portion, and wherein the coil springs are each formed with a portion of reduced diameter at their lower ends and which is located in an opening in the retaining clip.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 20,094 9/1936 Wilms et al. 335-131 2,087,895 7/1937 Bierenfeld 335281 X 2,399,575 8/1946 Schleicher 335-131 2,687,502 8/1954 Furnas et al 335-261 3,015,046 12/1961 Willcox 335276 3,215,800 11/1965 Hurter et al. 335-131 10 BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

R. N. ENVALL, 1a., Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A MAGNETIC SWITCH ASSEMBLAGE, THE COMBINATION INCLUDING A HOUSING OF INSULATING MATERIAL, OF A UNITARY MAGNETIC FIELD PIECE AND COIL COMBINATION ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED WITHIN THE HOUSING, SUPPORTING BRACKETS FIXED TO THE FIELD PIECE AND HAVING OUTWARDLY EXTENDING PADS ADAPTED TO REST IN RECESSES FORMED IN THE HOUSING FOR FREELY SUSPENDING THE MAGNETIC FIELD PIECE AND COIL COMBINATION WITHIN THE HOUSING AND IN A MANNER PERMITTING FREE ADJUSTING MOVEMENT OF THE FIELD PIECE AND COIL COMBINATION TO A LIMITED EXTENT, AN ARMATURE LOCATED ADJACENT ONE END OF THE FIELD PIECE, AND WHICH IS ATTRACTED THEREBY WHEN THE COIL IS ENERGIZED, A CARRIAGE LOCATED ADJACENT THE OTHER END OF THE FIELD PIECE AND CARRYING A PLURALITY OF BRIDGING CONTACTS, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING THE ARMATURE TO 